


The Shadow of Yesterday

by Cherish (Marshmallows)



Category: Granblue Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Multi, Pillow & Blanket Forts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:48:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24806467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marshmallows/pseuds/Cherish
Summary: A monster without a childhood is confronted by two childhood friends with a mission, armed to the teeth with pillows and sweets.
Relationships: Lancelot/Siegfried/Vane
Comments: 12
Kudos: 15
Collections: Eat Drink and Make Merry 2020





	The Shadow of Yesterday

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Welsper](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Welsper/gifts).



For most of his life, the fields and mountains surrounding Feendrache were the only scenery he had ever known, so coming to live on the Grandcypher was something he had never expected. Whenever he peeked out of a window, he’d be confronted by an eternal blue of endless possibilities, the sky stretching out as far as the eye could see. For someone who had been forced to hide in the shadows, it was almost overwhelming to watch the open sky pass him by, only a bed of clouds underneath him.

It was on a day when the sky was a fearful grey, the window clouded over with lashings of rain, that there came a knock at the door of his room. Tucked up against the windowsill, Siegfried paused for a moment, pondering the identity of his visitor before getting up to answer their call. Their knocking certainly sounded excited, but the height at which it occurred meant it wasn’t one of the children. There was one possibility he could be certain of.

“Vane?” Siegfried called out, before realising there was something – or more likely, someone – behind him, “and… Lancelot?”

It was a silly question to ask. Where one was, the other was sure to follow, and sure enough, he noticed a tuft of black hair peeking atop the heap of blankets in his arms. Vane himself had quite a lot to carry, but he wasn’t comically eclipsed by his share like Lancelot currently was.

“Siegfried-san!” they chimed in unison.

“Do you mind if we come in?” came Lancelot’s voice, albeit slightly muffled behind all the blankets he was holding.

“Not at all,” Siegfried said, stepping aside to allow them to clamber in. Lancelot had to back up when the pile in his arms didn’t fit through the door frame, but after a quick laugh and a side step, he managed to manoeuvrer himself inside.

“We don’t come on the Grandcypher too often,” Lancelot said, sighing after depositing his stack of blankets on the floor, “So, we thought we’d get comfortable.”

“Our rooms are so far from each other…” Vane whined, following Lancelot’s example and piling his bundle next to his. It must been a remarkable effort to carry so many blankets and pillows across the Grandcypher, their combined pile as large as if they had deposited a chunk of the crew’s laundry into his room, “We even thought to make a big thing of it and invite Paa-san along too, but…”

“It appears Aglovale got to him before we did,” Lancelot continued.

“He seriously said,” Vane lowered the pitch of his voice, “‘you’re inviting me to a children’s slumber party?’. Some welcome after we haven’t seen each other in so long… I even made a ton of strawberry shortcakes thinking he’d want to hang out…”

“It has been a long time, hasn’t it?” Siegfried said, offering them a smile.

There was a small pause as the pair glanced at each other, but that was quickly replaced by warm smiles of their own.

“It has been a while, hasn’t it?” Lancelot replied.

“How’ve ya been? Look at what we have!” Vane announced, proudly presenting a hamper as Siegfried closed the door behind them. 

“I’ve been well, thank you,” Siegfried said, “Though I wish I could have greeted you under better circumstances. I’m sure that hamper would have been lovely to share on the deck.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine!” Vane said, “I actually made everything in here with that in mind.”

“We had plenty of experiences like this when we were younger,” Lancelot said, “We’d often build a fort to hide away from the storm.”

Siegfried had to pause to reflect, “Making a fort?”

“Yeah, with all this!” Vane said, gesturing to the pile of blankets.

“Those are materials for a very soft fort,” Siegfried said, his brow furrowing even further.

“Oh…” Vane said, a grin spread right across his face, “Looks like you’ve never done this before then, Siegfried-san?”

“Allow us to demonstrate!” Lancelot said, mirroring Vane’s exact expression.

Before Siegfried could say anything further, the pair got to work, securing a clothesline on opposite ends of the room and stretching it taut. It didn’t look like they were merely hanging the laundry in his room, because after draping the largest blanket over the clothesline, they began shaping it into a tent of sorts. Siegfried did try to follow along with whatever they were planning, but a quick nod of Lancelot’s head sent Vane over, armed with a blanket to bundle him up and set him down with a little gentle coaxing and some idle chatter. Siegfried was thus forced to watch idly by as Lancelot transformed his room into what appeared to be a campsite, laying down blanket after blanket upon the floorboards. He only realised their vision as Lancelot made the finishing touches, placing down cushions to weigh down the bottom of the largest blanket.

“This is a… fort?” Siegfried said, surprise clear on his face.

“More or less,” Lancelot said, as he dusted off his hands.

“Just gotta do the finishing touches with these fairy lights!” Vane said, mobilising to hold up a pile of wires, “We struck a deal for these, so we gotta be careful with ‘em!” 

Vane didn’t elaborate any further on that point, disappearing into the fort armed with another bundle of clothes pegs. Even though his guard was now preoccupied, Siegfried sat still to watch the pair at work, coordinating together at a speed like they had practised this ritual over and over. 

“Lights on!” Vane called from inside.

Ready at the switch, Lancelot followed his instruction, and the inside of the tent was quickly lit up in a multitude of colourful lights. It reminded him of the decorations everyone used for the holy night, and the joy and warmth the pair brought into the room certainly felt like the excitement of presents and Santa.

“Well done, Vane!” Lancelot said, “I remember when you weren’t tall enough to do that by yourself. You were so much smaller back then.”

“Looks like you’ll be the one falling asleep in my arms this time, Lan-chan,” Vane said.

“W-Well,” Lancelot said, his cheeks dusted pink, “I hope to stay awake today. I want to enjoy the food you made first.”

“Oh, you can’t miss this blend of tea, Siegfried-san,” Vane said, poking out his head to beckon him over, “I brought it with me from Feendrache.”

After all their hard work, it was time to enjoy the fruits of their labour. It was as tight a squeeze as he thought with three fully grown adult men in one small space, but he wouldn’t say he was uncomfortable, not with all the cushions that Lancelot had also stuffed inside this fort. Bordered wall to wall by cushions of all spaces and sizes, they could at least sit comfortably cross legged, even if their knees had to touch and the ceiling grazed his head if he moved too much.

Flanked by their chatter, Siegfried had to smile. Being with old comrades was always nostalgic, and he was reminded of days when he was still in the Order, when Vane would help set up the tents and prepare the food, before they’d spend nights talking around the campfire. Siegfried watched as Lancelot laughed, as unrestrained as back when he was Vice Captain, their childhood memories fuelling their excitement and driving away the noise of the storm outside.

“Is this a common method for hiding from storms?” Siegfried said in a break of their conversation.

“Well, it’s one of the things we did,” Vane said, “I wasn’t the best with all the thunder and lighting…”

“I used to have to cover Vane’s ears just like this,” Lancelot said as he performed a demonstration on an obedient Vane, “He doesn’t look it now, but he used to be the tiniest crybaby, and he’d always cling to my shirt just like this.”

“Lan-chan,” Vane whined, “That was so long ago!”

Lancelot only answered with a giggle, “That’s why I’m so proud of you now.”

“Anyway!” Vane said, clearing his throat as the tips of his ears went red, “Let’s get started on some of this stuff!”

He began unpacking the contents of his hamper, placing aside cutlery and an assortment of morsels, some in brightly coloured boxes and some hidden in foil, all sized to be perfectly held in hand without the potential of any sticky fingers. Lancelot continued the process, dividing the parcels between Siegfried and Vane, and then, after great restraint, finally settling on his own portions and piling his plate high with food. 

“They’re mainly snacks since I didn’t have a lot of time to make stuff,” Vane explained, rubbing the back of his neck, “I’ll make a whole set menu next time we make a day of it!”

“You’re too kind,” Siegfried said, smiling. He opened the nearest box, where several rice balls, shaped like cats, sat waiting to be discovered. He almost didn’t want to eat them, cradling one in his palm to merely admire his craftsmanship, their tiny smiling faces and whiskers carefully crafted out of seaweed.

“I had to sneak in a few carbs in here,” Vane said, laughing, “If Lan-chan got to decide everything we ate, I’d just be on a sugar high all the time.”

“I can’t get enough of your sweets, Vane,” Lancelot said, a cupcake in each hand. Siegfried had to watch as he proceeded to gulp down both in a single mouthful. Perhaps his dexterity in dual wielding meant he could eat twice as fast. 

“Lan-chan, you gotta breathe between each bite!” Vane said, swiping his thumb over a crumb at the corner of Lancelot’s lips. Lancelot only licked his lips in response, his fingers already plucking away at the wrapper of another cupcake.

“So good…” he managed to say between cakes.

“Please don’t choke, Lan-chan…” Vane said, looking frantically around before picking up a flask, “Oh, would you like some too, Siegfried-san?”

“If you don’t mind, Vane,” Siegfried said.

After pulling out a trio of small porcelain cups, Vane poured the contents of the flask into each of them, “Super refreshing but still warms you right up!” Vane said, passing him a cup filled with a steaming hot amber liquid, “It’s mint tea! Always nice to cleanse your palate too.”

Even in his hands, the smell of the tea was strong, and it was such a small cup that it went down his throat in a single gulp.

“Oh, uh…” Vane said, in the middle of blowing against a cup for Lancelot, “Wasn’t that too hot, Siegfried-san?”

“Oh, my apologies,” Siegfried replied, bowing his head.

“No, no! It’s totally fine, lemme get you another,” Vane said, “I’m just worried if you burned yourself. I know the cup’s kinda small, but I heard the size makes you appreciate the tea’s flavour more.”

Siegfried had to smile, “You’re quire knowledgable about tea, aren’t you?”

“Only because I drink lots of it,” Vane said, as he passed him another cup, “I try and learn new types too. Gives Lan-chan’s break time menu some variety.”

“Break time menu?” Siegfried said.

“Vane,” Lancelot mumbled, before pausing to swallow his mouthful, “Vane usually comes to my office at certain times to prevent me from overworking. It’s usually when his latest creation is fresh out of the oven and I can enjoy it warm.”

“If I wasn’t around, I swear Lan-chan wouldn’t even sleep,” Vane said, “Sometimes it makes me worry when I’m the only one out on the field.”

“I greatly appreciate everything you do for me, Vane,” Lancelot said.

“Perhaps I should have had three Vice Captains…” Siegfried said.

“Woah, no way!” Vane spluttered, “I could only dream of standing next to you guys back then!”

“Things would certainly have turned out differently if you had been with us,” Lancelot said.

“Lan-chan, c’mon!” Vane said, sharply turning to him.

“Indeed. Whenever it rains like this,” Siegfried said, “I remember that day.”

It had been on the tip of everyone’s tongues, but in uttering those words into life, he had invited in an atmosphere that made their shared space so much more suffocating. Once uncovered, the truth always lurked in the back of their minds: the conditions behind that stormy night, the failure of their Order that led to King Josef’s death and the ensuing purge from Black to White. As silence fell upon them, he remembered the winds howling outside.

“I’m sorry,” Siegfried said, closing the lid of the box he was holding, “Please continue without me.”

“No, no,” Vane said, “It’s okay! I made way too much food for just us two.”

“I haven’t been a very good host,” Siegfried said.

“We kinda barged into your room, Siegfried-san,” Vane said.

“If it’s anyone who should leave,” Lancelot said, “it should be us.”

“I…” Siegfried said, “I wouldn't want you two to leave.”

“Then,” Lancelot turned to Vane, and they both started smiling, “it’s settled.”

“You’re not getting away from us, Siegfried-san!” Vane said, “We came to cheer you up, after all!”

“Here, Siegfried-san,” Lancelot said, giving up some of his cupcakes, “Try these.”

Just like that, Siegfried’s shoulders began to relax, the fort filling with chatter like nothing had happened. These were the leaders of the Order now, and a further indication as to why Lancelot was the one who spoke for him back when he was Captain. Lancelot had always been charismatic, but combined with Vane’s cheer, the Order couldn’t have asked for a more welcoming Captain and Vice Captain pair.

The tea in his cup had cooled considerably now, and even though it was cool to his lips, sipping the drink was a much better alternative.

“Oh!” Lancelot said, opening a box to reveal some sort of sponge cake, “I haven’t had these in so long, Vane! You should try these too, Siegfried-san. Back in our village, Vane used to make these all the time with his grandmother.”

“Thought you’d like ‘em,” Vane said, grinning widely, “I hope you don’t mind me asking, Siegfried-san, but is there anything you’d like for next time?”

Siegfried paused for a moment to consider, “I don’t have any particular demands,” he answered, “I’ll eat anything you’ll make.”

Lancelot giggled, “Even Siegfried-san agrees with me.”

“You two…” Vane mumbled, beginning to pout, “Help me narrow it down though. Did you have any sweets you liked as a kid?”

“I don’t particularly remember my childhood,” Siegfried said plainly, “I fought monsters for as long as I can remember.”

“You’ve always been a natural born fighter, Siegfried-san!” Lancelot said, starry eyed.

“I suppose that is one way to look at it,” Siegfried said, “It was more for survival. My true prowess began with King Josef, as did most things,” Siegfried stopped himself, his gaze dropping to catch a glimpse of a smiling, tiny rice ball, “I’m sorry-”

“It’s fine!” Vane said, cutting in immediately.

“Please continue,” Lancelot said, “We want you to be as comfortable as possible.”

“If you want,” Vane said, patting a cushion behind Siegfried, “you can sit back and Lan-chan will feed you.”

“Vane!” Lancelot said, his cheeks flushing red in an instant.

“If you insist,” Siegfried said, leaning back onto the pillow Vane had prepared for him. Laid down on his back, he discovered that the fairy lights above them were actually shaped, a rainbow of stars dotting the ceiling of their fort.

“Siegfried-san!” he heard Lancelot yelp, followed by a hearty bout of laughter from Vane.

“I think there’s some fruit in the hamper perfect for feeding!” Vane said.

“I couldn’t possibly!” Lancelot said. He couldn’t see his face at this angle, but he imagined it was a spectacular shade of red.

“Guess I’ll have to do it,” Vane said, “Say ‘ah’, Siegfried-san!”

“Ah…” Siegfried said, following his instruction before he had even detected any movement. Vane didn’t come any closer, but it took a moment before he felt something land in his mouth. As his teeth sunk into the foreign object, it burst into juice, and he had to conclude that it was, in fact, a grape.

“Score!” Vane cheered.

“Vane, that’s dangerous!” Lancelot said, “Siegfried-san could choke!”

“Wanna do it to me instead?” Vane said, “Remember how you could catch grapes in mid air, Lan-chan?”

“I do remember how you were always the centre of attention in the dining hall, Lancelot,” Siegfried said, still laid on his back.

“How many fights did ya win back then?” Vane said.

“Please, enough,” Lancelot said, his voice muffled, which probably meant he was hiding behind his hands.

“Now Lan-chan’s only a good boy,” Vane said, “Hey- Woah!”

When Vane erupted into such loud laughter that he swore the stars above him were shaking, Siegfried had to peek at the cause of the commotion. He discovered Lancelot viciously attacking Vane’s sides, Vane squirming around in protest. In an effort to protect some of the leftover food, Siegfried began to retreat the parcels back into the hamper; but he noticed something sitting at the bottom, a familiar ornamental box, bright pink and decorated with tiny, studded jewels.

“Vane,” Siegfried said, picking it up and turning it in his hands, “This box isn’t yours, is it?”

“Oh, ah,” Vane said, looking over after Lancelot granted him a reprieve, “It’s one of the kids’. Think you know ‘em?”

“We received a lot of attention with all the blankets in our arms,” Lancelot said, planting his hands down in a truce, “When we asked around for fairy lights, the children offered us a trade.”

“They said we were only allowed to borrow some if we show them what we did with your hair,” Vane said, before flipping onto his stomach. Lancelot allowed that at least, shifting off him so Vane could sit up again and not have his legs in danger of jutting out the fort entrance.

Siegfried nodded, understanding everything immediately, “Then, we mustn't disappoint them.”

“I’ve never done anything like this before though…” Vane said, “My hair’s not that long.”

“It was longer a few years ago, right?” Lancelot said.

“Wasn’t that much longer than now,” Vane said, running a hand over his undercut, “Siegfried-san’s had long hair for as long as I remember though.”

“I never gave my hair much thought,” Siegfried said, “I only needed it to wrap up easily underneath my helm.”

“Which was why formal occasions were always a struggle,” Lancelot said, “Oh, but without Percival here, I get to decide your hairstyle! Let’s give it a try, Vane!”

“Uh, I guess it wouldn’t hurt…” Vane mumbled.

“I’m sure I’ll like anything you do,” Siegfried said, giving him a smile, “The children here seemed to particularly enjoy the length of my hair, so perhaps that’s a starting point?”

Vane turned to Lancelot, who took the lead and accepted the box from Siegfried’s hands. He had to chuckle at the expressions on their faces, both of them wide eyed when presented with the selection within such an unassumingly small box. If he remembered correctly, there were ribbons and flowers and all sorts of glittery clips, and though he didn’t have the slightest idea how one would utilise such a tool kit either, he had spent quite some time letting them play with his hair. 

“I think I have an idea,” Siegfried said, when the pair were rendered speechless for too long, “Please lend me your hair, Lancelot.”

“Oh, um,” Lancelot said, shuffling over to follow his instructions, “Excuse me, Siegfried-san.”

After some tidying up, they did have more room to shuffle around, Vane coming over to observe Siegfried at work. Pulling Lancelot’s curly hair taut proved more of a challenge than he thought, the tips determined to spring back up as soon as his fingers let go. The children abroad the Grandcypher were much more adept at this than he was, but eventually he made some leeway, weaving several locks of hair together to make a small plait. 

“There’s another technique I’ve not mastered yet,” Siegfried said, tying the ends with an elastic band, “But those should be the fundamentals you need.”

“Oh!” Vane said, “Kinda like a pastry, I’ve done this before!”

“I’m not quite sure how to feel that you’re likening my hair to a pastry, Vane,” Lancelot said, sat still and looking straight ahead.

“You enjoy my cooking, right?” Vane said.

“That’s true,” Lancelot said, before sharply turning round, “But wait, this is different!”

“I’m sure Vane will do fine,” Siegfried said, before shuffling over, “Give it a try.”

Considering the length of Lancelot’s hair, he didn’t have to wait long before Vane was finished, watching in amazement as Vane copied him in no time. The additional plait sank into the sea of Lancelot’s curls as well, but Vane rummaged through the box to find the perfect flower accessory to accompany his accomplishment, sliding a pale white flower clip into Lancelot’s hair.

“Aw, look how cute this looks, Siegfried-san!” Vane said, making his plait wiggle, “Now I wanna do all your hair.”

“Wait, Vane,” Lancelot said, “What does it look like?”

“There’s a tiny mirror in here…” Vane said, showing him the box, “Howsit? Do you like it? You usually don’t do much with your hair, Lan-chan.”

“It’s certainly shorter…” Lancelot mumbled, trying to peer into a mirror that was only big enough to focus on his eyes, “Maybe I should tie my hair up more to keep it out of the way…”

“You’re a quick learner, Vane,” Siegfried said as Lancelot continued to wrestle with the tiny mirror.

“That’s only because I watched you, Siegfried-san,” Vane said, “Think I’m ready to do yours?”

“If you’d be so kind,” Siegfried said.

“Let me help too, Vane!” Lancelot said, “Please show me what you did.”

“Okay, so – excuse me, Siegfried-san – you do this…” Vane said, separating out a small section of his hair with a touch so gentle, it felt as if his fingers were slipping through his hair as if it were sand, “Woah, Siegfried-san, your hair’s pretty soft, y’know?”

“There’s a lot of fashionable people onboard the Grandcypher,” Siegfried said, “and of course, there’s Percival.”

“I’m glad you’re taking care of yourself now, Siegfried-san,” Vane replied, still making his way down his hair. Siegfried didn’t have an answer to that, but as Lancelot and Vane chattered amongst themselves, he let slip a smile that both of them couldn’t see.

“Alright, I understand now,” Lancelot said, “Thank you, Vane.”

“No prob!” Vane said, and Siegfried felt his plait unravel as Vane let go of the ends, “Lemme give your hair a bit of a brush…”

“For someone who’s never done this before,” Siegfried said, closing his eyes as Vane swept through his hair with what felt like a very tiny brush, “You appear to be more than capable.”

“Well, I’ve never done anything fancy,” Vane said. Even when untangling knots in his hair, Vane didn’t do anything aggressive, allowing the comb to slide through his hair and easing the tangles out with his fingers once it was caught. 

“Let me guess,” Siegfried said, his lips curling up, “Lancelot?”

“Only occasionally!” Lancelot immediately cried.

Vane let out a laugh, “When he’s in a rush, I got no choice but to get him ready!”

“Oh, Lancelot,” Siegfried said, letting out a quiet chuckle.

“I’ll do my best to improve…” Lancelot mumbled.

“That is what you do best,” Siegfried said, head still faced forward. 

“Thank you, Siegfried-san!” Lancelot said, and he could already imagine the way his face lit up in delight.

“Alright, all done!” Vane declared, giving the ends of his hair a quick ruffle, “Your hair’s longer than I thought, especially with this brush…”

“I’ll do this side, Vane,” Lancelot said, “If we coordinate our efforts, we’ll be done in no time.”

“Roger that, Lan-chan!” Vane said.

As the pair worked simultaneously through his hair, it was apparent which one had the gentler touch. Though he had endured much greater pain than this, he did feel himself leaning towards Lancelot’s side, silent as he felt Lancelot pulling his hair to get it into shape, most likely with an intense look of concentration on his face. Vane on the other hand was humming to himself, his fingers weaving through his hair. 

“Lan-chan, yours look really tight…” Vane mumbled once he had noticed Lancelot’s side.

“Should plaits be looser?” Lancelot whispered back.

“I think so, since we’re making lots of little ones,” Vane said, and Siegfried felt him hold up a plait to demonstrate, “You wanna have them blend in more. See?”

Though Siegfried continued to remain quiet, he was thankful as Lancelot began to loosen his previous plaits and he eased himself into a gentler weave. 

“How about this?” Lancelot said after a moment of silent concentration.

“Perfect!” Vane said.

After they had developed a steady rhythm, it didn’t take them long to finish, even with Lancelot having to redo his side. Siegfried wouldn’t have minded however long they had to take, his eyes closed throughout the process as he took the moment to empty his thoughts and breathe.

“We’re done!” they cheered, and that was Siegfried’s signal to return his mind back to them.

“Your aesthetic choices are wonderful as always, Vane,” Lancelot said. 

“Only because I had your help, Lan-chan!” Vane said, “How’d you like it, Siegfried-san?”

“My hair…” Siegfried offered in response, “feels heavier.”

It was just as he lifted the tiny mirror to his face that the fairy lights had to flicker for a moment. 

“Huh?” he heard Vane mutter before they were plunged into a pitch black darkness. He could hear a chorus of cries outside, from among the other crew members in their own rooms, and with it, the howling winds reaffirming their existence as they battered the Grandcypher.

“Looks like the storm’s getting stronger,” Lancelot said. Considering their proximity, he could feel Lancelot’s movements as he searched around for something.

“Should be a torch in here…” Vane said, another source of shuffling next to him.

“I found it!” 

He could barely hear Lancelot’s last words as Vane let out an ear piercing scream right by his side. Even Siegfried had to pause for a moment to recollect his thoughts, blinking as he listened to Lancelot’s laughter.

“Oh, this is a perfect time for some ghost stories!” Lancelot said, his usually serene smile looking sinister with the torch light upon it.

“No, Lan-chan!” Vane whined.

“A shame…” Lancelot said, turning off the torch and plunging them back into darkness. Siegfried felt Lancelot edge away from his side, his movements light and controlled as he disappeared away from his side. 

As the winds continued to howl in intensity, the silence of the darkness stretched on. As slowly as he could, Siegfried inched closer towards Vane, and despite his initial jump, he was receptive to his hand, his fingers tightening against his hold.

“Lan-chan?” came Vane’s voice, shaky and quiet. 

“Boo!”

Summoning him forth in a burst of giggles, he felt Vane crash into him with all the force of two men. Normally, he would be able to keep his balance, but without much room to manoeuvre and the promise of cushions to catch his fall, Siegfried let himself topple over, a momentary grunt as Vane’s weight pressed into him. Vane’s flailing meant he would have fallen sooner or later anyway, his laughter ringing in his ears as Lancelot tackled his sides. Curious if he combined his efforts with Lancelot, Siegfried copied his movements, causing Vane to just curl up into a ball.

“No, wait, guys!” Vane spluttered, “Not both of you!”

Luckily for Vane, the electricity was soon back on, alongside a distant apology announced down the corridor. The fairy lights flickered back into life, and their fort was illuminated by a rainbow of stars once more.

“Oh, we’re back,” Lancelot said, a smile stretched right across his face.

“Lan-chan!” Vane whined, making his displeasure quite clear in his voice.

They didn’t lay like fallen dominoes for very long, Vane rolling over Lancelot as he giggled without shame. 

“Now, now, Vane, don’t pout…” Lancelot said quietly. 

“I’m not pouting,” Vane mumbled.

“Siegfried-san, please lend me your aid once more,” Lancelot said, “Can you squish in a little more? Vane would appreciate the hug.”

“Huh?” Vane spluttered, “Wait, guys-”

Without further ado, Siegfried followed Lancelot’s instruction, squeezing himself in closer in an already tight space.

“There we go,” Lancelot said cheerfully, laying his head against Vane’s shoulder. Siegfried did the same, and discovered to his delight that it was as comfortable as it looked.

“You guys…” Vane mumbled, and the reverberations of his voice tickled against his cheek.

“If you sing to him, Vane falls asleep very easily in this position,” Lancelot said to him across Vane’s chest.

“I’m afraid I don’t have much talent for that,” Siegfried said.

“Oh, then how about a story?” Lancelot said.

“A story…” Siegfried mumbled to himself, “I’m not very good at them either, but if you choose a topic, I can attempt one.”

“We haven’t heard much about your past, but I’m always willing to learn more about you, Siegfried-san,” Lancelot said, “if you’re comfortable that is.”

“It’s perfectly fine,” Siegfried said, “You’ve already made so much effort for me.”

“Any time, any time!” Vane chimed in.

“We’ll always be here for you, Siegfried-san,” Lancelot said, “Whenever you come back to Feendrache, we’ll be there too.”

With a smile on his lips, Siegfried began one of many tales that carried into the night, the storm soon forgotten in its entirety. Vane was quick to fall asleep as Lancelot predicted, but Lancelot was not to be outdone, his eyelids dropping as he curled up against Vane’s shoulder. The clip in his hair prevented it from falling into his face, and Siegfried had to linger at seeing him look so peaceful. 

All those years seemed so far away now, and knowing these two, he remained hopeful for what was to come and what other sights they would show him.


End file.
